New Jersey Bills

passed both · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 12, 2026

A 5785: Requires certain wellness visits to be covered once per year without waiting periods.*

This New Jersey bill (A5785) requires all health insurance plans to cover specific preventive services without cost sharing or waiting periods, with coverage required at least once per calendar year (January 1 to December 31). It affects all health insurance plans in New Jersey, including hospital service corporations, medical service corporations, health maintenance organizations, and individual and group health insurance plans. The bill covers evidence-based services rated "A" or "B" by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, CDC-recommended immunizations, and preventive care for children and women as outlined in federal guidelines. Insurers must cover these services through out-of-network providers if they don't have in-network providers available for the service. This ensures people with health insurance in New Jersey can access recommended preventive care annually without financial barriers.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

passed both · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 12, 2026

A 6129: Makes supplemental appropriation of $615,000 to DHS for grant to NJ 2-1-1 Partnership.

This bill appropriates $615,000 from the General Fund to the New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS) for a grant to the NJ 2-1-1 Partnership. The funding directly supports the NJ 2-1-1 Partnership, which operates New Jersey’s statewide 2-1-1 service providing free information and referrals to health, social, and emergency services. The bill adds this amount to the existing fiscal year 2026 budget for DHS’s Behavioral Health Services division. The 2-1-1 service, designated by New Jersey in 2002 as the sole state administrator for the nationwide 2-1-1 dialing code, connects residents to community resources through a single phone number.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

passed both · New Jersey · Senate Jan 12, 2026

S 4904: Permits probationary or temporary appointment of law enforcement officer as State or county investigator under certain circumstances.

This bill allows certified law enforcement officers to serve in temporary investigator roles. Specifically, it permits permanent officers with active police training certification to receive a probationary appointment as a State or county investigator for up to 120 days while completing required investigator training. During this period, they may perform full investigator duties. Upon successful training completion, they can apply to the Police Training Commission for permanent investigator licensure, with the temporary appointment remaining valid until the commission reviews their application. The bill directly affects law enforcement officers seeking to transition into investigator positions.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

passed both · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 12, 2026

A 5052: Requires health insurance and Medicaid coverage for screening, prevention, and treatment services of behavioral health issues affecting children.

This bill (A5052) requires New Jersey health insurers, Medicaid (NJ FamilyCare), and state health benefit programs to cover screening, prevention, and treatment services for children's behavioral health issues without requiring a formal mental health diagnosis. It establishes "at-risk diagnosis" as a billing mechanism, allowing providers to use Social Determinants of Health Z-codes (instead of standard mental health codes) for preventive care based on factors like family circumstances. Coverage must be provided at the same level as other medical services for children under 18. The law applies to all health plans, Medicaid contracts, and state employee health programs effective 90 days after enactment.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

passed both · New Jersey · Senate Jan 12, 2026

S 4905: Revises statutory definition of certain waterfront workers.

This bill revises New Jersey's legal definitions for waterfront workers to clarify who qualifies under state law. It specifically updates terms like "longshoreman" (defined as workers moving freight at piers, checking cargo, or supervising others) and "checker" (workers handling cargo accounting). These changes directly affect dockside workers, carriers, stevedores (dock operators), and employers in New Jersey's port operations. The bill streamlines existing definitions without creating new regulations, ensuring consistent classification for workers in the port industry. It focuses on precision in terminology rather than policy changes.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

passed · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 12, 2026

A 1432: Authorizes use of school bus monitoring systems; establishes certain enforcement procedures and penalties for certain violations captured by school bus monitoring systems.*

This bill authorizes municipalities and school districts to install school bus monitoring systems with cameras to capture vehicles illegally passing school buses. If a violation is recorded by such a system, the violator would face a $250 civil penalty instead of criminal penalties, with collected funds going to the municipality or school district for safety programs. The monitoring systems must capture specific evidence including the bus's flashing lights, the violating vehicle's license plate, and the date/time/location of the violation. Recorded images are not public records and must be purged within 95 days of recording. The registered owner of the vehicle would be liable for the penalty unless they can prove the vehicle was used without consent or was stolen.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Transportation

passed both · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 12, 2026

A 6149: Establishes nonpublic school nursing services pilot program to provide funding to county consortium of nonpublic schools for nursing services.

This bill establishes a three-year pilot program in eligible New Jersey counties (population over 950,000) to provide nursing services for students in nonpublic schools. It shifts funding directly to county consortia of nonpublic schools - replacing the previous system where school districts received funds - to cover nursing services for participating schools. Nonpublic schools in the pilot must stop offering "courtesy nursing services" to students and instead rely entirely on the county consortium for these services. The program requires schools to formally join the consortium by June 1 each year and includes annual audits and a state report on the pilot's effectiveness after two years.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare

passed both · New Jersey · Senate Jan 12, 2026

S 1965: Regulates provision of pharmaceutical services in long-term care facilities.

S 1965 requires New Jersey long-term care facilities (including nursing homes and assisted living residences) to have a consultant pharmacist and either a provider pharmacist or an in-house pharmacy director. It mandates an interdisciplinary pharmacy committee - comprising the facility administrator, nursing staff, and consultant pharmacist - to meet quarterly and maintain records. The bill also prohibits consultant pharmacists from having conflicts of interest with facility pharmacy staff and requires proper Drug Enforcement Administration registration for facilities storing controlled substances. These requirements take effect immediately, with the Health Commissioner authorized to create implementing rules. The bill directly affects all licensed long-term care facilities in New Jersey.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

passed both · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 12, 2026

A 5901: Authorizes certain energy projects involving installation of transmission and distribution wires that cross preserved farmland.*

This bill allows energy companies to build transmission and distribution infrastructure (like power lines) on farmland protected by conservation easements, but only under strict conditions. It requires projects to stay within a 50-foot right-of-way near the preserved farmland's edge, prohibits on-site energy generation, and mandates landowner approval. Projects meeting these rules automatically clear without committee review, while others require a 90-day application process where easement holders get 30 days to comment. The State Agriculture Development Committee must balance agricultural use against New Jersey’s energy needs when reviewing non-compliant requests.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

passed both · New Jersey · Senate Jan 12, 2026

S 4387: Requires establishment of tracking system in Division of Consumer Affairs to determine compliance with continuing education requirements.

S 4387 requires New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs to create an automated tracking system for licensees in regulated professions (like healthcare or real estate) who must complete continuing education to renew their licenses. The system will automatically monitor each licensee’s completed education hours and verify compliance before license renewal. It specifically allows regulating boards to still address individual hardships, even if a licensee hasn’t met requirements. This bill affects professionals needing continuing education to maintain their licenses, ensuring timely compliance checks. The system must be implemented within 13 months of the bill’s enactment.

passed both · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 12, 2026

A 6124: Updates minimum allocation amounts and poison pill provisions related to revenues collected from hotel and motel occupancy fees.*

This bill sets fixed minimum funding levels for programs funded by New Jersey's hotel and motel occupancy fee, effective fiscal year 2027. It requires $31.9 million annually for the State Council on the Arts, $5.5 million for the Historical Commission, $17.6 million for tourism advertising (via the Division of Travel and Tourism), and $720,000 for the Cultural Trust. The bill also appropriates $1 million from the General Fund to the Division of Travel and Tourism for tourism advertising, ensuring a total of $17.6 million for this purpose in fiscal year 2026. Additionally, it clarifies that failure to appropriate these minimum amounts would trigger a "poison pill" provision, halting occupancy fee collection.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

passed both · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 12, 2026

A 6113: Provides supplemental appropriation of $4 million for Hinchliffe Stadium Partners to support stadium, entertainment, and tourism infrastructure at Paterson Great Falls National Park.

This bill adds $4 million in supplemental funding to the 2026 state budget for Hinchliffe Stadium Partners, a private entity. The funds are designated to support the development and maintenance of sports, entertainment, and tourism infrastructure at Paterson Great Falls National Park. This supplement builds on a prior $900,000 appropriation for the same project in the same budget year. The funding requires approval from the Division of Budget and Accounting before use.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

Bill results